anyone else waiting for their DC to be unkettled ?

[gingeroots]

Anyone else have a DC stuck in Whitehall ?
Had a phonecall at 3pm to tell me that the entire Physics class had joined the protest and that DS stuck in Whitehall .
They're supposed to be releasing them in small groups but DS says minimal activity .

[granted]

I hope you're v proud of your DC. Well done students!

[magentadreamer]

How old is your DS Gingeroots? On our local TV news they interviewed two school students who had attended the demo in Leeds. It was good to see young people who cared enough to go out and march. I hope your DS gets home soon.

[gingeroots]

Oh thanks guys - was kind of expecting criticism,though hoping for support !
He's 18 .
Must say I'm a bit fed up with the containment - can't help thinking it's use is prolonged to try and put them off demonstrating in the future .

[granted]

Of course it is - disgusting to treat peaceful protesters like that, esp when so many so young and in such freezing weather.

Hope your dc is K.

Also hope this experience radicalises them, rather than putting them off as the police would hope.

[granted]

Sorry - should read OK.

[gingeroots]

Spoken on phone ,says they are packed like sardines ( good for body heat at least )and in long line to get out .

[granted]

What's the fault of the police?

[magentadreamer]

I hope anyone who has been injured be they Police officers or Demonstrators is ok. The Police are not innocent bystanders when it comes to demos in my experience, but I do not condone violence by either parties. I don't think anyone on this thread has either.

[battleoftheboys]

Hello, first post- so I am expected to get eaten alive, but just saw this on Twitter, thought you should know:

DO NOT GIVE YOUR NAME TO THE POLICE. They're using s60, which doesn't give them the power to take your details. They are using Section 60 of the Criminal Justice Act 2004, which gives them the power to search for weapons and detain people while doing so, but does not give them the power to take people's name or details (address, DOB). This info needs to get to those kettled asap!

Have let my son know, he said it seems like a bit of a waiting game!

[gingeroots]

Home at last .
Says kettled before damage to polive van and that police had tried earlier to contain them in a small park .
Glad he's safe .

[battleoftheboys]

That's good gingeroots! Have had a (very shaky, obviously scared) phone call from mine saying they are on the way home on the train.

Very relieved he is on his way.

[gingeroots]

Police van .
And not that he agreed with that ,or any of the more provocative actions by some of the demonstrators .
Understand that a policewoman has a broken hand ( rather than arm ) and another was apparently unconscious .
cms.met.police.uk/news/major_operational_announcements/student_protests_latest

[cybbo]

I thought the BBC footage was terrible-the first shot was the police van being attacked by about 7 hooded people while 1000's stood around, causing no offence to anyone.

[Rosebud05]

Glad that your children are on their way homes.

Disgraceful of the police to use kettling powers at all, especially with minors being involved.

The police person with the broken hand is quite definitely going to be more alright than Ian Tomlinson's family will ever be again, I'd say.

[gingeroots]

battleoftheboys - hope yours is home soon ,and echo what magentadreamer said .
My sympathies with any injured and hope they are being cared for .

[battleoftheboys]

Cybbo- if you look on the BBC news about it, there is a picture of two very brave girls in school uniform trying to stop the thugs.

DS says he was frightened at all the pushing and shoving and said it was difficult to get away from escalating situations.

Well, at least he is on his way home now.

[battleoftheboys]

Thanks Rosebud and gingeroots- just off to pick him up from the station.

My thoughts are obviously with the police, but also the injured young people, who have only been touched on briefly by the media.

Hopefully next time, if DS decides to go, he will be more aware of how to remove himself from potentially threatening situations and not get swept along by the crowd!

[emptyshell]

I'd be amazed if my younger brother wasn't there protesting... he's discovered politics with a vengeance lately.

I'm glad they're protesting - I was at uni when the fees originally were coming in (I squeaked through at the end of student grants) and we couldn't get anything other than apathy from anywhere because they were just too dense to see where things were going to go when they let the genie out of the bottle. Hate that it's being hijacked by idiots and detracting from the cause though.

[granted]

Totally agree, emptyshell - like you, I was in the last year of no fees and feel very sorry for today's students who are expected to pay huge amounts for something that my generation (and David Cameron/Nick Clegg's generation) all got for free.

9K is taking the mick - the aim is clearly to return us to a world where only the stupid rich can still afford a university education.

[coccyx]

shocking behaviour. Cause ruined by a few 'students'. Well done to those female students trying to stop them attacking the police van

[Errmmmm]

My favourite quote from radio 4 yesterday:

"Many of the students protesting were school children who were shocked when the police wouldn't let them go home for their tea"

Anyway, my teenager was protesting yesterday (not in London). I found it very difficult to be cross with her for having left school without permission, I have to say. She says there are more protests today, I won't be so happy if she bunks off again

[granted]

coccyx - the cause was not 'ruined' by a few students. The fact that a few may have turned up looking for trouble has no bearing on the justness of the cause - but it's a good excuse for the media to attack the vast, peaceful mass of students as troublemakers.

Don't fall for it.

[Rosebud05]

Shocking behaviour? The adults charging children on horseback after detaining them in the freezing cold for hours for no lawful reason.

Indeed it is.

I heard that quote on Radio 4 - it made me think of what a naive view of the police most people have. The positive thing is that a new generation are on their way to become more questioning and politicised.

[granted]

And yes, Ermmmmm, I think t is shocking that the police would treat kids as young as 12 in the same manner they would adult protesters. To keep young kids effectively imprisoned for hours in the bitter, freezing cold does NOT cast the police in a good light. It's inhuman.

Fine - lock up the ones causing trouble. But the peaceful majority have a right to go home for their tea - why shouldn't they?